Minutes
Key
CT = Callum Turnbull
JL = Jordan Liu
NN = Natascha Norton
ES = Eve Salama
NA = Nathan Adlam
RC = Ruby Collison
LR = Luca Ryan
Officer’s Reports
Quorum has been reached. No officer reports.
Questions to Officers
No questions to officers.
Discussion of Motions
Elsa Wester: I am the treasurer of the JCR, please note all motions today come under budget. We have enough money to support all motions, so judge motions on their merit, not on economic prudence.
Motion: Request for OUEM Investment Transparency via the College Bursar
JL: Motion is well written, so I am going to read it out in its entirety to explain the situation.
*please see GM agenda for full motion as read by JL*
Questions:
Eli Cazin: I am a bit confused, have FOI requests already been made to the college and denied?
JL: No FOI requests have been made, it is assumed college does not possess full
knowledge of where money is invested.
NA: By what process did you come up with 3 working days/10 working days deadline? Asking for such a short turnaround might make this more difficult.
JL: The deadlines are goals, ideal circumstances to set a schedule to try to achieve. I didn’t originally write this motion so I don’t know what the thinking behind the specific dates, but I interpret the dates as a suggestion not set in stone.
Dom Joyner: Who wrote the motion?
JL: Samuel Williams, who is no longer at the college. I seconded the motion so now I am representing it.
Adam Sherwood: Is there any way for us to require college to do the things we want them to?
CT: No there isn’t. We can say we want it but can’t do much more.
JL: I agree with Callum.
Points of Support/Debate:
NA: This is much more likely to be successful if we do not dictate a schedule, they might be offended if we insist on short deadlines. I recommend that we amend this to have no deadlines.
JL: I would interpret dates as a suggestion.
NA: The wording says the college should formally ask OUEN to satisfy arbitrary deadlines.
JL: Interpret it as: if they haven’t responded in 10 days, we follow up.
NA: Is this how college will interpret it? If we don’t intend to include formal dates in emails to college then that should be said somewhere.
Phoebe Davies: There are legal limits to FOI requests which would be followed anyways.
Voting: Passes 28-3, 4 abstain.
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Motion: One-time payment of £265 to support student production of A View From the Bridge.
NN: I am asking for a one-time grant towards our production at the Playhouse, originally 300 pounds but now 265. We have to raise 2000 pounds across all college grants, we are focused on student participation, we have at least 4 to 5 people from Balliol involved in production who this will be supporting, but also just want to create more creative opportunities for freshers. I am the producer as well and helping to put on production.
Questions:
Dom Joyner: is the amount 300 which it says on the motion a typo?
NN: yes, it should be 265.
Points of Support or Debate:
Angharad Thorp: 8-9 Balliol people involved, it is quite normal for 300 pounds given for even one Balliol student’s involvement, so this is very reasonable. When organizing the overall budget of 25000 pounds we have been very diligent at making sure money is being spent reasonably and going to the right places.
Phoebe Davies: We should help get more people into drama at Oxford so this is a great idea.
Sarah Webb: This play has been incredibly stressful for a lot of the crew, more than normal for a student play. This is likely because of the management and production so we should be wary of whether we want to support this.
NN: Have not heard this from anyone else, it is quite stressful to be part of any play, we are trying to keep the conversation open and I am happy to have the conversation if you would like to, but are trying our best.
NA: 25000-pound budget is a lot, where is the rest coming from?
NN: All pre-approved with Playhouse staff, we have had meetings for 9 months. Money is coming from Cameron McIntosh funding, JCR grants of 2000 overall, and the Playhouse has a large grant to give this student production opportunity once every term.
Dom Joyner: Do you have to pay Playhouse staff?
NN: Service fee of 4000 pounds, technical fee of 4000 pounds, about 18000 total of the budget is overhead Playhouse costs. The rest is used for set, lighting, 4-piece orchestra with original compositions, very exciting.
CT: Because of the large amount of money, this motion requires 60% to pass.
Voting: Passes 33-6 (4 abstain).
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Motion: Grant to support Equinox Dance Crew student dance production
ES: I am requesting 145 pounds from the JCR (last minute change, so motion shows a larger amount but we are asking for less), going towards Equinox Dance Crews and showcase, it is university wide and contributes lots to student life, we have free open classes for beginners every week, many Balliol students go. It is very fun. The showcase is for the crew, but anyone can come and watch (20 Balliol students went last year). Tickets are under 5 pounds every year, and this grant would allow us to keep ticket prices in that range so it is as accessible as possible.
Questions:
CT: How much money?
ES: 145 pounds.
No points of support or debate.
Voting: Passes 36-2 (3 abstain).
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Motion: Funding for Lubomyr Melnyk Concert
NA: I am current co-president of Balliol Music Society (freshers please join!) I am looking for funding for a concert series that I cannot fully fund through the Balliol Music Society because it is too expensive. Turns out organizing concerts yourself is very expensive, Holywell Music Room costs 500 pounds. I have spent 1100 pounds out of my own pocket on this concert series. Lubomyr Melnyk is Ukrainian, used to be homeless, but then very quickly became very famous, very unique. He is going to die with no legacy because no one else can play his pieces, he is too talented, so we should support his concerts. We have sold only 50 tickets and are not close to breaking even, let alone being able to pay him, especially because of his expensive flights. Want to hold more concerts to share his work with more people, students, because it is very special and you can never hear anyone like him play. 320 pounds will make up for the fact that ticket sales were not as successful as I would have hoped.
No questions.
No points of support or debate.
Voting: Passes 33-3 (5 abstain).
NA: Also, by the way, there is a Balliol discount, 5 pounds for a ticket for Balliol students, in other circumstances you would expect to pay 30 pounds.
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Motion: Funding for ‘In Praise of Love’, BT Studio, Week 3
*Change in amount of funding requested, from 80 pounds to 65 pounds*
RC: I am asking for 65 pounds to support a student production, In Praise of Love. Myself and other Balliol students are involved, it is a beginner production so it is very accessible. Ticket sales are reduced for easy access but they don’t cover production costs, so this grant would be very helpful to ensure we do not have to pay out of pocket. Any leftover funds go back into supporting more student plays.
No questions.
Points of support and debate:
Eli Cazin: We give out a lot of funding for plays which is wonderful so we should support this.
Voting: Passes 34-1 (2 abstain).
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Motion: St Johns Sports Day
LR: We have John’s Sports Day coming up, we are asking for 4000 which is standard, half will come back to the JCR once we get people’s payments for T-Shirts back (half is a loan, essentially). About 250 Balliol students attend, it is a great event and is a very longstanding tradition.
Questions:
Eli Cazin: Money is going back to the college, or to the JCR?
LR: Money goes straight back to where it came from.
Bella Ma: Can anyone come to the event? Is it free?
LR: Anyone can come, totally free, includes a dinner and crew event.
NA: Is it here or at John's?
LR: Here.
Eli Cazin: Is this a standard amount to spend?
LR: Yes.
Avrah Pernica: When is it?
LR: 23rd of November.
Points of support or debate:
Adam Sherwood: 2500 pounds for food goes mainly to spectators, for whom it is also free; you do not need to be playing a sport to be involved.
CT: Needs 75% to pass because of the amount of money involved.
Voting: Passes 34-1 (2 abstain).
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GM adjourned.